Elections are the life-blood of democracy. They directly connect the citizen with those entrusted with influence and power. The outcomes of such contests generally reflect the values and aspirations of society.
That is why a presidential election should be held in the autumn when the seven-year term of Mrs Mary McAleese expires. Not alone would such a contest refresh the mandate President McAleese has exercised with such vigour, commitment and style, it would focus the attention of the Government on the need to implement those presidential reforms advocated more than five years ago by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.
There is some uncertainty still about the intentions of the political parties and, indeed, about the desire of Mrs McAleese for a second term. After all, the election is not due to be held until the autumn. The main focus of the parties is on the local and European Parliament elections in June.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, has said that if Mrs McAleese nominates herself as a non-political, non-partisan candidate, his party will not oppose her. The Labour Party has indicated it will field a candidate, possibly Mr Michael D Higgins. And the smaller parties in the Dáil may also put forward a contender.
On five of the 11 occasions when elections to the presidency were held in this State, a ballot was unnecessary because only one candidate was nominated. The absence of contests was viewed in some quarters as undermining the status of the office. Decisions by Fine Gael and the Labour Party not to field candidates or to challenge Fianna Fáil invariably reflected pragmatic political considerations based on cost and the impact of electoral defeat. And, because the President enjoyed no executive power, they justified their decisions by minimising the importance of the office.
Ireland is a rare example of a country that elects its head of state directly. The President is the only constitutional officer to be directly elected by the people. In our cabinet-style government, the Taoiseach exercises the executive powers of the State and is accountable to the people through the Dáil.
The President, as guardian of the Constitution, has no executive powers but carries out those duties the Government wishes her or him to perform. As head of state, the President represents all the people; is not answerable to either House of the Oireachtas and fills a non-political, non-partisan role.
While the office is largely ceremonial, citizens take great pride in their President as their direct representative on the international stage. Ireland's growing confidence and the changing nature of our society has been ably reflected by office-holders during the past two decades. Mrs Mary Robinson transformed the nature and perception of the presidency. Her successor, Mrs McAleese, has consolidated that change and engendered an expectation of its continuance.